ZooScope

Tag: Comedy

  • Ratatouille. Dir. Brad Bird. Buena Vista Pictures. 2007.

    In the Ratatouille scene where Remy and Emile enter an old woman’s house, questions of animal invasion into human spaces are raised. The woman’s reaction is to kill the trespassing rats; a reaction which, in reality, we would be unlikely to query.                                                             Fig. 1 As uncaged rats they represent pests, undesirable to find in one’s home. The…

  • The Little Mermaid. Dir. John Musker and Ron Clements. Buena Vista Pictures. 1989.

    Human ignorance towards carnivorous eating behaviours are challenged in the ‘Les Poissons’ scene of The Little Mermaid, where a flamboyant chef sings about cooking fish as he prepares them. One example is through the physical appearance of the fish. Unlike the individualised, colourful and characterised animals in the rest of the film, the fish to be…

  • Ratatouille. Dir. Brad Bird . Walt Disney Pictures . 2007.

    Ratatouille’s exploration of human cruelty towards rats is encapsulated in the scene where an old lady discovers that her home is infested by rats.   The old lady is introduced through a static frame that captures her sleeping peacefully whilst highlighting her pink garments, both of which depict her as a stereotypical gentle grandma figure. …

  • Ratatouille. Dir. Brad Bird . Walt Disney Pictures . 2007.

    Ratatouille’s exploration of human cruelty towards rats is encapsulated in the scene where an old lady discovers that her home is infested by rats.   The old lady is introduced through a static frame that captures her sleeping peacefully whilst highlighting her pink garments, both of which depict her as a stereotypical gentle grandma figure. …

  • The Witches. Dir. Nicolas Roeg. Warner Bros Entertainment Inc.. 1990.

    Only undeceived individuals might be able to tell a witch from an ordinary woman, for their most dangerous power is the sophisticated art of deception. “Real witches dress in ordinary clothes and look very much like ordinary women; they live in ordinary houses and they work in ordinary jobs” (Roeg 1990, minute 2:25), Helga Eveshim…

  • Monkey Business. Dir. Howard Hawks. 20th Century Fox. 1952.

    Forever young – what seems to be an unrealistic and silly fantasy to some, is Dr. Barnaby Fulton’s (Cary Grant) everyday life: in Howard Hawk’s screwball comedy Monkey Business (1952), he tries to develop a formula which reverses the ageing process. Even though Barnaby is completely dedicated to his work, he fails. It isn’t until…

  • Caddyshack – Some just don’t belong. Dir. Harold Ramis. Warner Bros. 1980.

    Golf enthusiasts who enjoy classic comedy, which might be a little bit old fashioned but, nevertheless, contentwise up to date, are getting their money´s worth. Even though there are a lot of critics to the movie, Chevy Chase and Bill Murray are always worth to see and Caddyshack, in particular, offers huge potential for social…

  • Pom Poko. Dir. Isao Takahata. Studio Ghibli. 1994.

    Pom Poko. Dir. Isao Takahata. Studio Ghibli. 1994 Pom Poko (Heisei Tanuki Gassen Ponpoko) is written and directed by Isao Takahata, a co-founder of Studio Ghibli which animated and published the movie in 1994. The story takes place during the late 1960s at the edge of the Tokyo sprawl. A housing project, aimed at expanding…

  • Marley and Me. Dir. David Frankel. 20th Century Fox. 2008.

    Synopsis The film Marley and Meis the film version of the correspondent novel by John Grogan, published in 2008. It thematically focuses on a family that learns important and essential life lessons from their often naughty and neurotic dog.

  • Ratatouille. Dir. Brad Bird and Jan Pinkava. Buena Vista Pictures Distribution. 2007.

    Brad Bird and Jan Pinkava’s 2007 animated family film Ratatouille follows the journey of a rat named Remy who has a dream of becoming a chef.[1] Like most family films, Ratatouille has an underlying moral message it aims to teach its audience. Ratatouille wants its audience to go away from the film with the idea that individuality is a good…